Álftanes, south of Reykjavik, Iceland, is a bird-life rich peninsula that rapidly is becoming an independent urban identity. It is a good example of how current suburban planning methods are creating a scattered ratty environment that lacks cohesion and a sense of community in a architectural sense. The competition called for a master plan of a centrally located area. In this project Olafur Thordarson submitted a 4-point strategy for dealing with the Icelandic climate and conditions, to create a downtown nucleus that gives Alftanes an dense hub as well as a real urban identity. The creation of this downtown was proposed as an ecological and practical solution to the long outdated and wasteful planning strategies of the Icelandic urban planning establishment.

 

The site became a sort of modular nucleus of a downtown for future developments. I used the competition as a vehicle to crystallize an urban prototype for an Icelandic environment. Situated between 4 roads, the site as proposed, would be that of a dense urban nature, wherein a highly intertwined urban environment would be created. Note the contrast of the other shattered urban developments at the top of the plan.

Deep within this dense environment would be a commercial center, flanked by 4 new access roads. This center would pinwheel traffic around it and with parking underneath, the commercial structure would be raised off the ground level with a new glass-enclosed piazza The urban structures surrounding this core, would be composed of 4 major elements, each not to have a priority over the other.

Plan showing the glazed-in urban commercial square, surrounded by shops, and the stage-like steps to the parking area underneath. The square would have become a hub of activities central to this new community.

 

The 4 major elements of the urban environment are as shown in the 4 diagrams below: On the left is shown a network of walkways/bicycle paths that weave together the community, thereby establishing the base for outdoor activities of the inhabitants. The diagram on the right shows how the 4 access roads sectioning off a set of ecologically oriented roads, that wind through the dense urban environment to reduce vehicular speed, and around communal gardens.

The 3rd part is shown in the diagram below left, where shared gardens, squares and playgrounds are allocated as various central nuclei, i.e. community condensers. These are specifically designed to be sheltered from the strong winds so prominent on the North Atlantic island. The 4th diagram on the right shows the 2-3 story high building patterns, and how individually constructed buildings are linked up to form urban necklaces or row houses. The reason for the necklace is on many levels; mainly one to provide for community garden+shelter from the winds, as well as to connect basements as an interconnected system of garages (see diagram/plan below). This configuration saves space in any urban context while providing for rich spatial variety.

A note on the diagrams is that each of the 4 elements are given equal planning priority. The failure of today's system is partly in placing its no 1 . priority on the access road and the dead end road. It's no wonder why city slickers are addicted to their cars. Furthermore, a one-liner priority is sometimes appropriate for a toaster oven, but in an urban sense its a failure, as is demonstrated with much of the city planning policies in Iceland.

Plan/diagram of the linked-up basements, where most local parking is located. This eliminates the need for the regular garage, which to often are glorified shacks taking up valuable green space. For each garage eliminated, from a conventional planning method, one can estimate to plant 10 trees on average.

Birds eye view of a neighborhood, explaining the network of paths and how each communal garden is surrounded by buildings. This creates a sheltered area, so rare in Icelandic urban planning. This is analogous to what in the Icelandic landscape is called "laut"

Portion of the master plan showing a duck pond created to draw bird life into the community. This is a way to partially make up for lost bird-sanctuary, previously on the building sites. The pond is in the shape of a dead duck.

The surrounding coastal areas are rich in bird life. For this purpose I proposed making several of these bird-watching houses for nature enthusiasts.

Drawings showing the various paths through the Alftanes nature reserves

All design work and drawings are made by Olafur Thordarson in New York, 1991. This project culminates various urban issues and concepts developed by Thordarson during the mid 1980's.

Hjalti Karlsson provided assistance on graphic presentation.

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